SHARKS OF NEW YORK BIGHT

With the sun finally shinning and temperatures fast on the rise, droves of beachgoers head to the Hamptons, Long Island and the Jersey Shore. But not far from the beaches, apex predators, many of them giants weighing hundreds of pounds, cruise, looking for a meal. Starting in late spring, sharks, including makos and threshers of impressive proportions, invade New York Bight, affording anglers an edgier type of big-game action: one where the target species are not only endowed with formidable strength and endurance but also powerful jaws with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

THE THOROUGHFARE

New York Bight hosts a variety of pelagics that use the massive channel to come and go across the continental shelf with the seasons. An abundance of sharks and the forage they pursue travel that ancient submarine highway scoured by the Hudson River at the end of the last ice age, turning the area into a world-class shark-fishing destination.

â€śMakos and threshers show up the first week of June,â€ť says Glen Kapoosuzian, perennial shark tournament winner and skipper of Reel Games, a charter boat out of Freeport, New York. â€śEarly fishing centers around Chicken Canyon, Glory Hole, Mudhole and nearby wrecks. It all begins when the water hits 57 degrees, and things get better as the temperature rises. Iâ€™ve caught many of my biggest sharks in early June, including a 591-pound thresher and a 594-pound mako.â€ť

DANGEROUS QUARRY: Makos, the fastest shark species, known for its high-speed runs and amazing somersaults, and threshers, aggressive, bullish and almost as acrobatic, are headliners in the Bight. Threshers have become more prevalent over the past 10 or 15 years, yet makos, once the mainstay of the New York Bight fishery, remain plentiful.

Both track down prey from long distances by picking up scent dispersed by the water, so chumming is equally productive for either species. But their hunting tactics couldnâ€™t be more different. While makos rely on their speed and daggerlike chompers to kill or severely injure during the initial attack, threshers use their long tail fins to incapacitate prey with powerful blows before circling back to devour the stunned victims.

ESSENTIAL FACTORS: Water temperature plays a key role in the arrival of early-season sharks. The larger ones, which have the greatest temperature tolerance, are usually first on the scene, and some stick around until November. â€śTemperature is the most important thing,â€ť Kapoosuzian claims. â€śI use SST charts to find spots with water at least 57 degrees. Nearby temp breaks and structure peak my interest, but itâ€™s a home run when you find bluefish. My best days have always come when thereâ€™s bluefish around the boat.â€ť Both the whiptails and makos arrive at about the same time, trailing the early influx of bluefish, so it stands to reason that the best bait is fresh bluefish, especially small ones you can rig whole. Kapoosuzian works with local commercial fishermen and fish markets to get the freshest and carries plenty on each trip because there are times when you go through scads of ravenous blue sharks while waiting for a big mako or thresher to show.

So... another winter has come and gone, (hopefully). As the ground thaws and the back bays start to warm up into the high 40's and low 50's the elusive Morone saxatilis a.k.a Striped Bass begins to in habit these waters which were just frigid and bare weeks ago. This is the beginning of their yearly migration and its time to take your shot at landing one of these beautiful fish.

Batteries RequiredThinking about trying your luck? Well you'll need the right gear to get the job done. Lets start off with the hardware you'll need from the beach, since at this time Marinas are not yet ready for the boats and most trailer boats don't have the shrink wrap off yet. A 8-9' medium to medium heavy rod capable of 1-3oz should be good enough to get you in on the action. Pair it with a spinning reel in the 3-4 range, load it up with 30lb braid and you have the weapon you'll need. Additionally you'll need a sand spike, waders and a bucket or chair (bait and wait) can be hard on the feet.Â

In Like a LionMarch is usually the time when the locals and sharpies, start to wet a line, and more years than not you here of the first keeper being caught off the beach during the first week. You'll have to pay close attention to the weather during this time as it can be dramatically different from day to day. Be aware of NE winds as they can really make it difficult on the water. Other things to consider are high tide times, wind speed and direction, and sunrise and moon set times. I seem to do the best at first light when the high tide and the sun rise match.

Where's WaldoSo now you have a good weather day and the gear in the truck where do you go? To answer that lets think about whats happening in the water. The Bass are here now because the water temps have set off their migratory instincts. They are foraging and re fueling from their winter diets. So what does that tell us? It tells us that they are in warmer waters. The shallows, sand flats of the back bays and river mouths at this time of year are where the favored water temps are. Key areas to try range from Perth Amboy to Leonardo. Any mussel beds, clam beds, or creek mouths are usually a good starting point. Structure such as rock walls or jettys, and bridge legs can and will likely hold fish. Pick your spot by ease of access and don't rule out a last minute change. Often you may be fishing say in Cliffwood with nothing going on, when you'llÂ hear of a bite going on In Lawrence Harbor. You can literally see one spot from the other and can't understand how this is happening, but it does happen and happens often. So you'll want to be close enough to the truck to pack up and get to the bite while its still on.

The Last SupperOnly seems fitting as the title of this portion. The baitÂ you choose and style in which you present it are as key as any other topic we have discussed. Early spring bass are eating whats readily available at this time. In the areas where the fish are the offerings include; clams, blood worms, sand worms, and mussels. Most of which are available at your local bait shop. If you can't make it to a bait shop during the hours the are open or if they are sold out, Berkley Bloody worms, or gulp clams can work too. I prefer fresh clams this time of year. Now you have your bait its time to get it in the water. A 6/0-8/0 circle hook snelled on to a 3' piece of 30-50 lb mono or flouro carbon and a 2-4 oz chunk of lead will get it there. There are many readily available striped bass out there and all of which will work. I like to keep it simple a 8/0 circle hook on one end of a 3' 40lb flouro leader, and a barrel swivel at the other. Put a fish finder on your main line, tie your main line to your swivel and snap on a 3oz bank sinker. Now place the tip of the hook through the foot of the clam(the rubber like portion of the top of the bait) and pass the hook through the belly several times.

Let er' flyYour now at your spot of choice, have your hook baited and your rod in hand, time to snap back the bale and and get that bait soaking.

Be gentle especially fishing clams you want as much of that belly to stay on the hook as possible. To do this I use a long swing over head cast. Start by bringing our rod tip back over your shoulder and let your clam almost touch the floor, take a look back to make sure there is no one behind you, and that your hooks not stuck on anything. (many times I have seen people get hooked, hit with a sinker, or the hook stuck on a bag or bucket resulting in a broken rod). If its all clear swing your rod forward with your arms as straight as possible, release the line as soon as you see your thumb. Don't whip the rod forward or your clam will be on the beach behind you.

Once the bait hits the bottom reel up the slack until you can feel your sinker holding the bottom and place the rod in the holder. Now its the waiting game.

Strike oneHere it is the moment you've been waiting for, as you keep an eye on your top eye you see the flicker of the rod tip. Don't let excitement get the best of you. Running to the the rod haphazardly grabbing it out of the holder and immediately swinging for the fences will almost guarantee you've missed your opportunity. When you see the rod "go off" yes you'll want to get it in your hand quickly, but thats it just get it in your hand. Let the fish tell you what its doing, often the bass will inhale the bait and go but this is not always the case. Some days they are a little hesitant on taking the bait and decide to play around with it, you can feel this going on but resist the temptation to swing. When you feel a steady pull and can see your line stretched its time to set the hook.

Its all over but the shoutin'You've done it all right and now have your first spring bass on the other end of the line. Take your time and enjoy the reward, keep constant pressure on the line and avoid pumping the rod. Any slack in the line at this point will give the fish a chance to spit the hook. Continue to reel the fish in and soon as you can see the dorsal (top) fin sticking out of the water hold the rod to your side and walk backwards to pull the fish on to the beach. Job well done, now its time to measure the fish take a few pictures and get it back in the water or in the cooler as fast as possible.

Last wordsThere are many other ways to catch spring bass than what I have written. I am sharing what has worked for me for many years, figure out what works best for you. The best thing you can do to increase your chances is listen to whats going on, either by talking to that guy you see in his truck where your fishing, or by this forum, or your local tackle shop. They other key to improving your odds is time. The more time you spend researching and planing will definitely increase your chances, but the most important is the time on the water.

The ocean and its marine creatures has always been a source of great amazement to me. Learning the science behind our fisheries has always been an asset to me no matter what I am fishing for. The purpose here is to introduce some of the known science that impacts our ability to capture a trophy sized fluke.

Migration:

It is always wise to try to understand the migration pattern of any species you target. Right now a majority of the fluke population is offshore, mostly just inshore of the canyon edges anywhere from 40 to 85 miles offshore. Fluke spawn offshore in these deep waters where they will spawn several times during the course of their offshore foray, mostly in the early winter months. The young spawned will move inshore in the early spring where they will reach the backwaters and shallow bay areas where they can mature and feed. These young fluke will remain inshore and not migrate offshore until they are 1-2 years old. The adults begin to move inshore in very early March with some of the adults migrating into the bays and backwaters. While most folks think all of the fluke migrate way inshore as stated above, a majority of the fluke stay out in the ocean and never move inshore.

Fluke can be caught in the inshore waters as early as March with many astute anglers targeting and releasing them well before the season opens where fluke can be retained. Fluke will feed in the backwaters and bay waters from them until the water temps rise too high in the summer. Despite the abundance of bait in that venue, a majority of the fluke first shift to deeper pools and channels, then towards the inlet, then out to the oceanic feeding stations. (A need for all species of fish to stay in their water temperature tolerances is a primary driver of species migrations.)Some very large fluke, however, will continue to feed in the backwaters well into the summer and fall.

By mid summer and into the early fall, most of the fluke will be on the near shore reefs, wrecks, coral beds, and other structured areas. The backwater fish migrating out to the near shore grounds join the larger segment of the fluke that never migrated that far inshore in those areas. As we get into early September the fluke begin to leave the near shore structures and work their way out to structured areas further offshore and eventually out to the winter spawning grounds. So this is the basic pattern, an east-west migration, but interesting variations do occur.

Spring Into the Boating Season

A Comprehensive Approach to Pre-Season Boat Prep

Brian Rice is a charter fishing captain who plies the inshore and offshore waters off northern New Jersey with his 2006 31-foot ContenderÂ® center console. The boat is powered by the original 2006 Yamaha F250 outboards, and the hull and motors have over 2,200 hours of use on them without a major repair.

The boat has been fished hard, but sitting on the trailer in the warehouse, gleaming under three coats of wax as Rice finished up the process of getting it ready for the 2014 fishing season, it looked to be in excellent condition. Brian walked us through the thorough service program he follows before splashing the boat for another season of charters and fun fishing with his family and friends.

â€śThe Jersey Devil is a great boat, and itâ€™s powered by the most dependable outboards I have ever owned,â€ť Rice said. â€śBut dependability is a two-way street. Yamaha builds a great product, but if you donâ€™t follow the manufacturerâ€™s service requirements at the specified service intervals, you canâ€™t expect to get the kind of longevity I have gotten from mine. Itâ€™s that simple.Â Â

Riceâ€™s spring pre-season prep work goes well beyond the outboards. The larger the boat, the more things there are to inspect, service and replace if necessary. The older the boat, the more important these system checks are to avoid what could become serious problems once you start the season. If you live in warmer climates and use your boat year round, regardless of whether you keep it in the water, on a lift or a trailer, you should set aside a time once a year to do a full vessel inspection and service. It can actually save you a lot of money on unnecessary repairs in the long run.

â€śSince I put a significant amount of hours on my outboards each season, I probably replace service items more frequently than a more casual boater needs to,â€ť Rice said. â€śBut thatâ€™s just me. I hate to let things go that could come back to haunt me during the fishing season.....Read Full Article Here